Zone Diaries
by Theo 'Blitz' Leung
Summary: Children of scientist become partnered to digital monsters as the world they thought they knew unravels around them. (Diaries Universe fic, WIP)
1. Boundary of Chaos

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Boundary of Chaos

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By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

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blitzbit@hotmail.com

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon. Toei Animation Inc. does. All original characters and Digimon introduced in this series of fics belong to me or other respected authors. Please ask for permission if want to use them. This fic is based within Lord Archive's Diaries universe, and is written with permission. Thank you._

* * *

_Someone once said, 'expect the unexpected'. But how can you expect something that is meant to be a total surprise…? I just don't understand it. Maybe it's my brain working on overdrive…maybe it's something else. I'm not sure, I just got a feeling - I have to 'expect' this 'unexpected' today…_

_~Kayrina Freyna_

* * * * * *

Her emerald eyes followed the motion of her comb, brushing her brown hair down and straight, untangling the mess created in her sleep. Sunlight shined through the cracks of the blinds, providing some illumination to the room.

She gently, almost silently, placed the brush back on the desk, gazing at her reflection. She admired how all it had to do was imitate the real person, never thinking, never doing, only copying - a mannequin that can move only in symmetry. One could almost say she was envious of her own image.

Pushing the stool back, she stood up and admiring the reflection for one last moment. It wore what she wore as well: long black jeans with a tear on the right knee and a white T-shirt with a black stripe right across the chest. She took a step away from the desk, pausing for a moment, before returning to it, sliding a shelf open, revealing a large pile of miscellaneous goods. On the top of the pile lay a small, square, white device with rounded corners. She picked up the item, fitting comfortably in her hand.

"Can't forget you," she spoke softly, opening her hand. The device had a small LCD display on the front, with three spherical grooves surrounding it, tracing out the image of a triangle. Using a clip on the back of the item, she attached it to her jeans. The girl made sure her good luck charm was secure before nodding and headed out.

* * * * * *

Kayrina Freyna, age fourteen, five feet, four inches, eighth grade student attending Cummer Valley Middle School. She sat in the far corner of the classroom, head propped up against her shoulder, staring out towards the backfield of the school. The events that brought her here cycled through her mind.

She moved to Toronto a bit more than three years ago, after her parents, both researchers, found a job opportunity they could not refuse, much to her disappointment. She didn't like the idea of leaving her friends from Covina, California and everything familiar to her behind. She resented her parents for that. It especially did not help when they had to work almost twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

It only made it worse when forests and mountains materialized right in the downtown core of Toronto overnight. The city was in a state of panic, especially her parents, for reasons she was not allowed to hear. She really hated her parent's new job, they never have time for her, and they can never tell her anything because everything they do is classified three fold.

Sighing softly, she let her head hang. She recalled the events that transpired afterwards: the many citizens who were lost in the downtown core, the numerous rescue teams that just went missing without a trace, and finally how the city just declared the new area a 'Digital Zone' and made it off limits to any non-authorized personal.

She unclipped the small device from her jeans, staring at it. That device was the only good thing to come from the whole string of events. It appeared the same day the Digital Zone 'occupied' downtown Toronto, glowing brightly inside her room. The illumination subsided quickly when she touched the small device. Thankfully, it was a bright afternoon, so it blended in with the sunlight outside.

The device proved to be a charm or ward or something similar - Kayrina kept it as a good luck charm. It keeps any sort of trouble from coming to her, mostly…

"Ms. Freyna!" the teacher exclaimed from the front, slapping a metre stick against the blackboard. She snapped to attention, gasping in surprise from her teacher's outburst. "Is my lesson boring to you?" she questioned, glaring at her - if looks could kill, that would have nuked the school.

"N-No ma'am!" Kayrina stammered, trying to collect herself quickly, scrambling to find the section of the current lesson in her textbook. She could hear the impatient tapping of her teacher's ruler against the board, though that was mercifully drowned out by the fire alarm going off. Kayrina breathed a sigh of relief, but caught the glimpse of an annoyed glare from her teacher. Not wanting to incur the wrath of the teacher anymore, the female student quickly joined the rest of her class. They evacuated into the backfield, waiting patiently, some thankful to get out of class, others curious if it was a drill or not. Kayrina could only stare out towards the former downtown core, an uneasy feeling lingering in her mind.

A sudden explosion nearby made everyone in the field jump, silencing them completely. Smoke billowed into the sky, coming from the school's parking lot. The crowd could only stare, some muttering 'cool' and 'awesome', others trembling in fear, the rest only staring in awe. Kayrina was one of the few still able to move after that, wading through the crowd, heading to the front, watching the trail of smoke quickly raise into the air. Without even thinking, she sprinted off towards the site of the explosion.

* * * * * *

A crowd of students ran by, all screaming in fear. Kayrina only ignored them, turning the corner of the building, halting in her tracks in sheer awe.

Before her stood a five foot long, pale green snake, balancing itself on its tail, a pair of silver wings sprouting from its back, flapping to keep it afloat. It wailed incoherently, its screech echoing through the sky. It was making a mess of things too: one car was knocked over, another burning to a crisp, and multiple vehicles with shattered windows and mangled metal. Metal posts were knocked over, parking sings trashed; it was a miracle the section right beside the school was relatively untouched.

"Ha! Ha! You can't touch me!" another voice exclaimed, young and energetic. The snake monster only growled louder, slithering head first into an already mangled car. Another monster leapt from in front, a section Kayrina couldn't see before, landing on top of the car, almost dancing on top as the snake crashed through the windows of the side door, the blow lessened with the fact the glass was already cracked. The monster snake only hollered in frustration, slithering around and towering over the small lizard like monster.

"Hey, Kay!" the lizard monster remarked, waving a webbed hand towards her when it noticed her. She wasn't sure if she should be surprised or afraid that a lizard knew her name, let alone the fact the bi-pedal lizard could talk. Even standing on the roof of the damaged car, he looked short, about three and a half feet tall. It had red skin and webbed feet and hands. A pair of tiny wings sprouted from his back, twitching idly. However, the lizard's carefree nature quickly eroded, glaring at the snake more seriously. It hissed in return, diving towards the lizard once more. Again, the crimson skinned lizard leaped to evade, dodging completely and directing himself to facing the snake. The eyes of the lizard glowed black for a moment.

"GRAV BREATH!"

The lizard opened its mouth wide, a black energy orb blasting out and ensnaring the flying snake, causing it to plummet straight to the ground. In retrospect, the lizard landed gracefully, opening its mouth again, this time, the eyes flashing crimson.

"FAIA BREATH!"

With a puff of smoke, the tiny lizard let out a stream of fire towards the snake, searing it with heat and flames until it was no more, combusting into many fragments of something that disintegrated in the air - nothing was left of the snake monster afterwards. The lizard puffed a bit smoke in victory, bounding over to Kayrina and looking up towards her, grinning.

"J-Just….who…?" Kayrina stammered, kneeling down and poking at the lizard gently, staring in disbelief. "No…not who….w-what are you…?" It sort of giggled, looking up, grinning more.

"I'm Tricemon, and I'm your Digimon!!!" it exclaimed, bouncing into her arms. She fell backwards in surprise, but still managed to catch the 'Digimon'. It snuggled up into her arms.

"Um…ah…" Kayrina tried to say anything, but nothing would come out of her mouth that was coherent, only watching the lizard in her arms.

* * * * * *

"So…" Kayrina spoke softly, elbows propped up against her bed, head in her hands, watching the small Digimon plod on her bed. The only source of illumination in the room was the lamp on the night table, the dark night capturing the sky outside. "You're a Digimon…a monster that is totally digital…coming from a place known as the Digital World…" The lizard nodded. She smiled, finding the lizard kind of cute, poking it in the stomach. He giggled like a child.

"And you're my partner," Tricemon commented, sitting down on the bed, kicking his feet idly. Kayrina tilted her head to the side, stroking its head gently like a pet, watching it curiously.

"That's how you know my name…but…what do I do as your partner…?" she inquired, still petting gently. He sort of blinked, confusion sprouting.

"I thought you would know," it answered, looking up towards her, only to have a confused gaze in return. She stopped stroking its head for a moment, before resuming.

"I guess time will tell…." she told herself silently, watching over the lizard, still stroking gently. Instead, she decided to ask something else. "Are you a guy or a girl…?" It sort of blinked again, wondering what kind of question that was.

"I'm a guy of course!" he exclaimed, almost offended by the question. Kayrina nearly fell backwards in surprise at how such a tiny one can yell so loud. She was only thankful her parents were still working. However, it only brought her to recall how much she despised their decisions. She flopped onto the bed, closing her eyes. The girl felt the warmth of her Digimon partner curled up by her side, relieving her of some of the anger seething through her system.

"So, here I am…three years after coming to this accursed city, three years after that 'Digital Zone' appears. I have a Digimon as a partner now, and I don't even know why…" Kayrina shook her head, reaching over to turn off the lamp, only to hesitate, glancing at the small device that lay on the desk. "And what do you have to do with it…my little friend…?" she wondered, clasping the item for a moment, before letting it slide back onto the desk, turning off the light in turn. She could already hear the faint snoring of her partner beside her, a strange welcome to the loneliness she felt …

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Fin

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	2. Innocent One

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Innocent One

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By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

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blitzbit@hotmail.com

**_Disclaimer:_** I don't own Digimon. Toei Animation Inc. does. All original characters and Digimon introduced in this series of fics belong to me or other respected authors. Please ask for permission if want to use them. This fic is based within Lord Archive's Diaries universe, and is written with permission. Thank you.

* * *

_I smile, I cheer, I keep my head up. They would say I'm just high on happiness. I prefer to think of myself as an optimisit. Many would wonder what that meant, others would ask if I even knew what I just said. I guess that's what they think of those my age._

_~Frederick Sean Frayn_

* * * * * *

He kicked his legs idly, laying on his stomach, propped up on his shoulders, watching the T.V. screen with interest. The young boy was tiny, only 4'4" tall, but showed within his eyes maturity beyond his years.

"And today's top story: Cummer Valley Middle School terrorized after a reported 'monster attack'," the reporter announced, standing near a scene with toppled cars and destroyed properties. However, to the boy's eyes, the school remained relatively untouched. "No one can prove the existence of these monsters, though the staff and students of the school adamantly speak of this attack. Whatever happened to these so-called monsters is unknown."

The T.V. shut off quickly, leaving a black screen for the boy to stare at for a brief moment.

"Monster attack? Outrageous," a female voice remarked from behind. The boy rolled onto his back, looking up towards the female figure. "Do you believe that, Frederick?" He glanced towards the screen once more, before turning to face her.

"As much as I'd like to agree, mom, I feel there's a strange hint of truth within the reporter's words," Frederick answered. She rolled her eyes, carrying the basket of laundry to the living room and settling down on the couch, preparing to sort the recently cleaned clothing.

"Give me proof of their existence, and then I might believe it," she spoke bitterly, yet hesitantly. Frederick sat up, gazing at his mother, perplexed by her attitude. He understood his mother's need for proof, being a scientist, but to almost hesitate…it was unlike her.

He decided to ignore it, seeing his mother absorbed in the laundry, sorting and folding articles of clothing, placing them onto the table afterwards. Climbing to his feet, he headed to his tiny room, shutting the door behind him. He bathed himself within the darkness of the room for a moment, before flicking on the light switch, flooding the room in light. Clambering onto his desk beneath the window, he looked out towards the night sky. Down twelve stories below were the streets, its lights illuminating the night sky. The plaza sat at the merge of the major intersections, mostly closed except for the Mac's, Harvey's, and Swiss Chalet situated there. He followed the western road, Cummer, leading towards the school reported to have been attacked by monsters. As much as he liked to believe the fictions nature of monsters, his heart ached for some truth in those words.

"Snap out of it, Frederick, you're becoming irrational," he told himself, crawling off the table and settling down in the chair, leaning back for a moment, gazing towards the moon from the apartment complex. Wanting to distract himself, he reached into his school bag, removing a grade five math textbook. Sliding the notebook out next, he reached for a pencil within the assortment of writing utensils in a can. He began to drown himself within the math, clearing his mind from monsters…

* * * * * *

Frederick Sean Frayn, age ten, fifth grade student attending Finch Public School. He currently wore blue shorts and a matching coloured T-Shirt. The school day was cancelled, the municipality pronouncing that area of the city hazardous until an in-depth investigation was completed. However, an advisory basically placing everyone within the affected area on house arrest was ignored by this young boy. Instead, he was at the scene of the crime, first hand looking upon the destruction wrecked by the monsters. Though the area was sealed off, there was no sign of any activity within the vicinity. He signed softly, hoping for more signs of life on a scene of supposed 'on-going-investigation', despite the fact he was travelling illegally.

He turned away in disappointment, only to find a young girl across the street, sitting on a bench near the playground there. Frederick watched on curiously, surprised to see someone else out here. He approached her cautiously, wondering what she was doing. He was surprised to find her typing on a laptop computer in her lap, and even more surprised to see that she was possibly no older than he was.

As he drew closer, he began to notice her features more: shoulder length blue hair tied back into a pony tail. Her emerald eyes gazed down towards the screen, intent on her work. The white blouse and skirt she wore, both embroiled with gold lace, gave off an aura of innocence. Yet, the clear distinguishing feature on her was the silver bracer on her left arm. On the inside section of the bracer was an LCD screen, spreading the length of the item. At the wrist of the item was a small slot, as though something could be inserted, but what eluded the boy.

A cat-like growl surprised him as he was close, within arms reach of the girl. She quickly looked up, a hand placing on the small, white, ball-shaped item on her shoulder. The thing had small cat ears and it twitched as though it were alive. Much to Frederick's surprise, it was alive, growling once again, the eyes of it opening and glaring. He paused for a moment, but did not step back, only locking his gaze towards the female's eyes, as she did the same. They gazed at each other, as though bound by some strange fate.

"It's cute," Frederick remarked, smiling sincerely, stroking the tiny animal against the cheek with a finger. It growled again, biting at his finger. Though it stung, Frederick shrugged it off, finding the attack cute in a strange way.

"Excuse me…" the girl spoke softly, closing her laptop and standing up, looking away from the boy. She stood a good two inches taller than he. "She doesn't like the attention…" she continued, bowing her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, but if you'll excuse us, we'll be going now…" With those words, she left quickly.

"B-But…?" Frederick spoke, blinking in surprise by her sudden retreat, reaching out with a hand for her, but by then, she was already far away from the park. Slowly, the young boy curled his hand, sliding it back to his side, watching the girl run off. "Who are you…?" he wondered.

"Hey, Frederick!" a female voice shouted. He jumped with a startle, turning around to see a more familiar face walking towards him. The young boy smiled, waving a hand to greet the new comer.

* * * * * *

"So, who was the girl?" Kayrina asked, leaning back against the park bench. Her school bag lay between her legs, though it appeared heavier than usual. Frederick gazed towards the direction the mysterious girl took flight towards.

"I wish I knew, but she seemed afraid…" the small boy answered, returning his attention towards Kayrina. He noticed her gaze was towards the torn up parking lot of her school. "Do you know what happened…?"

"Of course I do, I was there after all…" Kayrina told herself silently, watching the war zone she witnessed only the other day. "A monster…a Digital Monster…for some reason…but he wouldn't believe me, it's too farfetched to believe. But if anyone…"

"Kayrina…?" Frederick whispered, breaking the female from her trance. She gazed towards him, blinking for a moment, regaining her composure. Knowing Frederick had her attention completely, he continued. "You knew what happened here, that's why you called me." She nodded slowly.

"Despite his age, he's probably more mature than I am…I think he'll understand…" Kayrina thought, watching that naive and innocent smile on his face. "And though his optimism may seem childish, that mixture of maturity and childishness be may just right for this fairy tale…"

"Kay…it's getting stuffy in here…" a voice groaned, muffled. The bag between her legs began to jump, shifting for a moment as the zipper became undone from within. In the next instant, a lizard head popped out of the bag, gasping for air, and surprising Frederick. "Yeah!" he exclaimed, stretching his tiny limbs out, before his eyes fell upon Frederick. "Ummm…hi!"

* * * * * *

"So…this is a Digimon…" Frederick concluded, patting the red lizard Digimon known as Tricemon on the head. It lay snuggled in Kayrina's lap, almost like a cat, just more reptilian. "And he was involved in yesterday's incident?" Kayrina nodded, looking down at the Digimon.

"He says he's my partner…but neither of us knows what it means…" the female added, stroking Tricemon's back gently. It shivered, rather enjoying the touch.

"A Digital Monster…our parents would have a field day with something like that…" Frederick commented, not exactly smiling, but his voice still cheerful.

"Yeah…they would…" Kayrina replied softly, leaning back and closing her eyes tightly. She recalled when she first met Frederick: it was at a small gathering where all the scientists and researchers gathered together, to meet their co-workers. Not many children were present, in fact, she only recalled there being four at the party. There was a pair of siblings who sat in the corner, the older brother consoling his younger sister. She was crying, pained by leaving her previous location. However, the one person who caught his attention was a blond haired boy waiting in a different corner, but was smiling, for some strange reason.

"There are things just out your control, there's no use worrying about those things," he told her at that party, something she didn't expect the, then, seven year old child to say. They stayed in contact often afterwards, living not too far from each other. Though they weren't exactly close, they confided with each other, almost like siblings they never had.

"Too much of a field day…" Frederick spoke softly, still watching over the small Digimon. "I don't think it would be very pleasant for your partner if they found out…" Kayrina nodded in agreement, eyes still closed.

"Hey…" Tricemon spoke softly, catching the attention of the pair. He leapt onto the ground, looking up towards the sky, behind the school.

"What's wrong, Tricemon…?" Kayrina asked, gazing down towards the Digimon for a moment, before following his gaze towards the clear sky. Frederick did the same.

In the next instant, a sphere of energy blasted towards the sky, barely passing over the corner of the roof and sailing overhead the trio, who could only watch in awe. After a brief moment, it dissipated, leaving a clear sky once more.

Without any other incentive, Kayrina broke into a run, to determine the source of the attack. Tricemon was quick to follow, drawn by the same impulsive thought that struck Kayrina. Frederick was taken by the pretty light show for a moment, and by the time he realized Kayrina's move, he was far behind. He ran as fast as his young legs could take him, trying to catch up.

* * * * * *

They turned to corner, only to have a cloud of dust engulf them. Both Kayrina and Tricemon covered their eyes, the dust storm passing by quickly. Once safe, they opened their eyes, only to see a cloud of fragments floating upwards from a crater, the sight familiar to them.

"Wha-What…?!" Frederick exclaimed, surprised, and pausing behind Kayrina. She glanced back towards him, the first time seeing such surprise from the young boy.

"F-Frederick…" another, soft voice, spoke out nearby. A trio of eyes glanced down at the ground in front of them, only to see a black bear cub laying on his butt. Frederick knelt down, gazing towards the emerald eyes of the cub, small, almost the size of a kitten. The ruby claws glistened in the light, showing their sharpness, yet it emitted no fear. The scared glimpse of the bear cub quickly turned into a smile, leaping towards Frederick. "I finally found you, Frederick!" it exclaimed within the safety of his arms.

"A-Are you a Digimon…? And…did you do that…?" Frederick asked, pointing towards the crater, but still watching the tiny animal.

"Y-Yes…but I didn't do it…" it answered, gazing towards the crater, the cloud completely evaporated. "She did…" it spoke softly, pointing with a claw. They looked up, following the ruby claw, seeing a pale skinned, human female who was hidden behind the cloud before. She stood over six and a half feet tall, wearing a black, sleeveless vest of armour and a metallic, armoured skirt that hung down to her knees. Slung under her right arm was a large cannon, pointed towards the crater. Her head looked towards them, crimson eyes watching them intently, shoulder length white hair finally setting after the resulting blast of wind from, what was most likely, her attack. Her right arm fell to her side, the cannon dissipating in a brilliant flash of light. She stepped away from the sight of the battle, turning her back towards the Humans and Digimon.

"Wait!" Kayrina yelled out, though the large female paid no heed to the words of the young female. Instead, she continued only, walking past another girl who was also apparently watching the battle.

"It's you…" Frederick whispered, recognizing the other spectator as the same girl he tried to talk to before. Her eyes remained shut, her laptop open and held in the palm of her right hand. Without saying a word she closed her portable computer and turned around, following in the wake of the larger human.

Kayrina made no other attempt to stop them, only to watch them disappear once more.

* * * * * *

Kayrina and Frederick sat back on the park bench, smiling as they watching Tricemon and the cub, revealing his name as Catavamon, play, chasing each other around the park bench.

"They're like little kids," Kayrina commented, enjoying the sight of the Digimon laughing and playing without a care in the world.

"So, I have a Digimon partner now, I wonder what it means," Frederick questioned out loud, though no one could answer.

"I want to know who that girl is…" the other remarked, gazing out towards where the mysterious girl headed towards. She noticed the mountains of the Digital Zone in the distance.

"There's no use thinking about it now," Frederick spoke, returning his attention to the playful Digimon, smiling. "The answer will be revealed in time…we just have to wait." Kayrina nodded, agreeing.

"Yet…my mind can only linger on such thoughts…" she told herself, but also taken by the atmosphere radiated by those smiling around her. She had to smile as well, letting her mind rest, even if only for a brief moment in her life, leaning back and closing her eyes, bathing in the light of the sun.

**

Fin

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	3. Beast

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Beast

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By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

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blitzbit@hotmail.com

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon. Toei Animation Inc. does. All original characters and Digimon introduced in this series of fics belong to me or other respected authors. Please ask for permission if want to use them. This fic is based within Lord Archive's Diaries universe, and is written with permission. Thank you._

* * *

_The stories of monster attacks continue with reports of a bright light that lingered over the school where the initial attack was. There is still a lot of doubt about their existence. I don't know what my parents think, they seem to be away a lot more often now because of it._

_I watched Dragukimon while listening to the news earlier today. She seems distracted, as though terrible thoughts linger in her mind. I cannot blame her, the same thoughts rest in my mind as well…yet, I do not know if she sees the same sadness and fear I see…_

_~Ryoko Yukishiro_

* * * * * *

She slid a blue, ninth grade textbook out of the top shelf of her locker, quietly placing the item in her bag. The young lady would have been totally unnoticed in the crowd of students who were anxious to leave the school after the final bell rang, if not for her long white hair.

"Hey, Ryoko!" another girl screamed out in a high pitched tone. The white haired girl smiled faintly, brushing her hair back, letting it fall halfway down her back, and gazing towards the approaching girl. "H-Hey, do you have the…oh…!" she paused, seeing that Ryoko already handed her what she wanted – a sheet with the data of their laboratory report. "Oh, thank you Ryoko!" she exclaimed, hugging the other girl gently before running off again, waving her hand back in thanks. Ryoko smiled more, watching the girl head away with her crystal blue eyes before shutting her locker and shouldering her knapsack, wading her way through the crowd – like a snowflake.

* * * * * *

Ryoko Yukishiro, age thirteen, five feet two inches, ninth grade student attending Don Mills Collegiate Institute. She wore black jeans and a blue T-Shirt. Cars zoomed by as she walked down the sidewalk, alone. Her head was down, the path memorized in her head after only a period of a few weeks.

She rounded the next corner, reaching into her pocket for her house key. The noise of rush hour traffic slowly faded from her ears as she walked deeper into the small residential street. Walking up a trio of steps, she slid the key into the door and opened it, only to find the house empty.

"As usual…" she whispered, smiling a little and kicking her shoes off, shutting the door behind her. Ryoko headed up the stairs and towards the end of the hallway. Entering her room, she found who she was looking for, lying on her bed, reading a book.

"Welcome home, Ryoko!" she spoke, looking up from her book – the novel Ryoko was required to read for her English class. Though the reader wasn't a family member, she was a very close, and secret, friend of Ryoko.

Her friend rolled off the bed, and, despite her side, landed quietly. She stretched out, making sure her tail doesn't knock over while doing so. The blue-skinned dragon stood up, standing 4'7" tall, scratching her light blue underbelly with one of her three pronged claws.

Ryoko smiled, petting the dragon Digimon on the back, gently sliding a hand over the sharp spike fins on the Digimon's back, lightly so that they would not cut her. Her partner remained very still to make sure they don't, suppressing a shiver that went straight down her back with the touch. The Human smiled, letting her bag slide to the floor and sitting down on the bed, feeling the impression left by her Digimon.

"Reading for hours on end again, Dragukimon?" Ryoko asked with a soft smile. Her Digimon looked away shyly, a bit embarrassed, only causing her partner to laugh now. "Ah, come on Dragukimon, you know I was only playing with you," she spoke softly, pulling her partner's head into her chest, petting gently.

"Wanna get something to eat?" Ryoko asked her partner and friend, letting go of Dragukimon's head and allowing her to stand up straight. The Digimon nodded, prompting another smile from her partner. The pair headed back downstairs, beginning another raid on the kitchen.

* * * * * *

The pair was back on the bed, Ryoko laid on her back reading the book Dragukimon was reading earlier. Her Digimon, on the other hand, lay on her stomach, reading another novel from the assorted bunch on her partner's bookshelf. The night table beside the bed had a tray with a plate on it. Crumbs of their snack sat idly on the plate.

Ryoko looked up from her book, gazing down at her partner. The Digimon remained focus on her book, the Human smiling at her partner's innocent pose. Ryoko placed her hand on the Digimon's head, stroking gently, causing Dragukimon to purr just like a cat – a practice the Digimon did often.

She watched the Digimon almost lovingly, continuing to stroke her head. Tenderly and gently, her hand trailed down the Digimon's back and back up, before wrapping her arms around Dragukimon and giving her a delicate, caring hug.

"Onee-chan…?" Dragukimon asked softly, looking up towards her partner. A smiled crept up the Humans lips, closing her eyes.

"I love it when you say that…" she answered softly, eyes closed tightly, trying to make her feelings go away. The tears only continued to flow…

* * * * * *

Ryoko woke up in the middle of the night, gasping, looking towards the dark ceiling. She shifted a bit, finding herself pinned down with her partner's arm over her body. The peaceful look on the Digimon's face while she slept calmed the Human female, sighing softly and pulling the arm off. Ryoko quietly slipped out of her bed, looking up towards the door and making sure Dragukimon locked it before they went to bed. With a faint nodded, she rubbed her eyes, feeling the dried tears.

"Yeah…I fell asleep crying…" she whispered to herself, recalling what happened earlier. Ryoko tried to rub the dried tears away for a moment, silently stepping towards the window and looking out with one open eye. "They're not home yet…" she spoke softly, noting the lack of a car on the driveway. Sighing once again, she sat down at her table, turning on the fluorescent lamp. She heard the murmur of her Digimon partner as Dragukimon shifted in the bed, probably turning the other way unconsciously.

Ryoko opened a shelf hanging below her desk, clearing some of the mess inside and pulling out a plain looking, grey diary, setting on the table gently. She gently placed the diary on the table, as though it was a delicate relic from the past, opening the book the first blank page she could find. With a pen at hand, she began to write in it.

_Dear Diary_

_I'm sorry I've been ignoring you for so long. I don't know why I've come back to writing in you…no offense to you, there are just a lot of things in here that I don't want to remember._

The writer paused for a moment, looking back on the previous entry in the book, reading the few words she placed there, recalling why there were only so many words in that entry. She sullenly returned to her current entry.

_It's been three years since I last wrote in this book. Maybe I feel like apologizing to you, for ignoring you these years. A diary is what I can confide in, and, I'm sorry I haven't been doing so lately._

_I guess, what's been going through my mind lately is what's going to happen. The stories of monster attacks continue with reports of a bright light that lingered over the school where the initial attack was. There is still a lot of doubt about their existence. I don't know what my parents think, they seem to be away a lot more often now because of it._

_I watched Dragukimon while listening to the news earlier today. She seems distracted, as though terrible thoughts linger in her mind. I cannot blame her, the same thoughts rest in my mind as well…yet, I do not know if she sees the same sadness and fear I see…_

_Oh, Dragukimon is my Digimon partner…I guess I should explain this from the top. My family finally did move to Toronto – 'The research opportunity of a lifetime' as my parents put it, those words still ring as a clear as a bell to this day. So, we moved here from Japan. I had to leave all my friends behind, my life behind, everything just for my family. It was so depressing…_

_I'm glad Razei was there for me, the times I've been alone would have been unbearable without him…pains in my body and the depressing feeling of loneliness struck constantly, and I would not have survived without my dear brother…_

_And then the worst thing that could possibly happen…happened. The Digital Zone materialized…and we were stuck right in the middle of it. I don't know what happened, only to find myself at the edge of the Zone without my brother…and with a Digimon right beside me, Dragukimon._

She looked up for a moment, pausing her train of thought to look back to her partner. The Digimon continued to sleep peacefully without a care in the world. The innocence of the Digimon's slumber calmed the writer's mind and allowed her to return to her tale.

_That was three years ago. Three years ago, I moved here. For a month, my brother protected me from everything. Now, Dragukimon has taken over that job…_

_I miss my brother. Dragukimon understands this, and is trying to do what my brother could not do anymore. I am grateful…Dragukimon is more than the partner she said she was, she's my friend…and sibling… But… nothing can replace how I feel for Razei……_

_I currently attend Don Mills Collegiate Institute. Dragukimon stays home and reads all the books I keep brining back from the library. Feels like an anime moment in some respect. It's hard to believe she's a Digital Monster…she acts so Human at times._

_Digital Monster…Dragukimon is the first and only Digimon I've ever seen. But she said there were more, and it can probably be reinforced by these 'monster attacks' as of late. I have a terrible feeling about this…and yet, there is a lingering feeling that I can not describe…_

_Well, it's three in the morning right now. I should get ready for school tomorrow. Last day of school for the week, and one test for the day…then I get to relax and be with Dragukimon. Well, good night._

With those final words, she quietly closed the book and replaced the pen. Her eyes fell on the simple diary, placing a hand on it tenderly, and nodding, sliding it to the corner of her desk. With that, she slipped back in the sheets of her bed and hugged Dragukimon gently, falling asleep knowing she was safe.

* * * * * *

Ryoko sat on the railing of the portable, balancing precariously, yet without fear. One hand held the book she required to read for English, her other hand holding the railing, only releasing it every so often so that she can turn the page. She was protected from the autumn cold by her grey jacket and black jeans she wore. The wind did little to distract her from her read, only to flail her winter white hair.

She had a short break after finishing the test within the first half of the period. Though a previous class warned of her of the brutality of this particular test, she found them to be simple and harmless – well, at least thus far.

Quickly, she looked up, gazing left and right, looking for someone. The wind howled once more, causing her hair to blow in her face before dying down. She quietly closed up her book and leaped off the railing, pulling her hair back.

"Who's there?!" she yelled out, though the only response was her echo. The wind picked up once more, causing her to shiver as she hugged her body. Without another thought, she collected her bag and hurried back inside the school.

* * * * * *

Ryoko trekked to her locker, still unable to get that sinking feeling that someone was watching her. She quickly collected the books she required for the weekend and packed them in her backpack. The hallways were almost totally devoid of life, aside from a few lingering students here and there. She regretted staying those extra minutes in her English class to confirm a detail about her assignment.

She took a step towards her usual exit out the front, but paused, looking over her shoulder. No one was at the back exit of school; yet, a strange, unyielding feeling told her to go back there anyway. The alluring sensation continued to draw her closer, as much as she just wanted to turn away.

Ryoko touched the glass of door, only to have it crumble as a ripple in the air blasted by, causing the girl to fall on her back in surprise.

"What…?" she whimpered softly. Ryoko slowly crawled to her feet, stumbling to the side, her balance thrown off by the sound. Slowly, she cleared her senses, her ears greeted by the wails of car alarms going off all around. The white haired girl looked up, only to be greeted by the sight of cars in the parking lot, glass shattered as well. Strangely, everything else was unscathed, ruling out an explosion in her mind. "A sound wave…?" she asked herself, seeing as no other possible answer.

An explosion in the parking lot knocked her off her feet once more, the far end now burning, black smoke gushing towards the sky. A thunderous roar accompanied the explosion, causing Ryoko to shudder in fear upon hearing it, crawling away slowly.

Her fear dissolved totally, replaced by the alluring feeling she felt before, a strange, unyielding feeling of love and care that ensnared her. Her eyes snapped wide open, leaping to her feet and almost tackling the door open, bounding towards the site of the explosion.

Her sight was met by something that felt like it was out of some fiction novel. Standing a fair distance apart where two opponents. On one side paced a seven foot long tiger, ebony armour almost covering its body entirely, aside from the dark grey fur shown from its unprotected paws and head. Scorch spots of various shapes and forms riddled its body, though hard to distinguish from the black metal protecting its body. It either did not feel it or was just ignoring it entirely, the eyes of beast staring at its adversary with blood red eyes. It paced side to side with confidence, baring its drooling fangs as though a cat playing with its prey.

Across the field, about twenty feet away, was its opponent, a pale-skinned Human female slouched over, panting softly, her white hair partially obscuring her vision. Her battle armour, a black sleeveless vest with a matching skirt, was badly scarred on many sections. The claws of the tiger were obvious doing more to her arm than her wide array of weapons was doing to the tiger. The tiger growled, licking at his claw sadistically, pointing towards the Human, almost smirking. Its opponent crimson eyes glared, standing up tall despite her body's protests, training all her guns onto the tiger. Her right arm was equipped with a pair of weapons: a five foot long cannon slung under her arm and a rifle over the arm, braced to her upper arm, the barrel extending outwards like a hollow cone. Under her left arm was a shotgun, extending from it was a sharp bayonet.

However, the surprising sight to Ryoko was the petite young girl standing a few feet behind the armoured female. The blue haired girl was panting softly, though it was hard to believe she was involved in all this. Her untarnished white blouse and skirt only added to that affect, though she lay there, gazing at a laptop laying on the ground before her, raising her left arm. The arm was wrapped in some sort of metal that Ryoko could not discern. Their battle, however, was clean as day, with a totaled car, more than enough glass blown out, and a field ripped apart with smoldering craters and slash marks. 

The battle erupted once more as the tiger leaped towards the Human with immense speed. Its charge was met by a hail of fire power, spherical energy flanked by bursts of purple energy and an attack that was unseen aside from the distortion in the air. The tiger dodged the larger attacks while the smaller bursts of energy did little but singe its ebony armour even further. The glint of the tiger's eyes showed no remorse, leaping upon the Human female. She cried out in surprise, saved by her bayonet as it prevented the tiger's jaws from feasting on her exposed neck. They struggled for a moment, trying to overpower the other. Their lock was cut short as the tiger willing withdrew, pouncing off the female and towards the young girl only a few feet away. The young girl gazed up at the lunging tiger, unusually calm for someone who was seemingly defenseless. Her lips moved silently, her right hand moved quickly. In the next moment, the air around her shimmered, the tiger bounding into the near invisible barrier with little affect. It growled angrily, trying to break the barrier by clawing at it.

Ryoko could only watch the tiger, who she assumed to be a Digimon, flail at the barrier maliciously. She saw the girl inside the shield begin to cower and tremble. Ryoko's mind raced, trying to decipher the thoughts in her mind, partially covered in fear, another angered by the Digimon's actions, the final completely taken over by the unknown alluring sensation that dragged her here in the first place.

"Stop it!" she screamed out, collapsing to her knees afterwards and hugging herself, completely at ends with her mind that suddenly cleared. Slowly, she looked up, the tiger gazing at her with those very same malicious eyes. Falling backwards, fear returned to her system as she inched away slowly, only provoking the tiger to play on her fear. It lunged towards her without a second thought.

Ryoko screamed at the top of lungs, raising her arms to shield herself, eyes closed tightly, awaiting the blow.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, peering through the gap between her arms, the sharp nails of the Digimon's claw a few millimeters away from her. She fell back in shock, breathing quickly, looking up to face the Digimon. Her gaze was on the tiger's crystal blue eyes that replaced the blood red ones earlier. Ryoko gazed into those eyes, her fear quickly fading, replaced by warmth that she could not describe. She slowly reached for the tiger's cheek with her hand, only to have it rejected as the Digimon leapt away, bounding away towards the fence that surrounded the school.

"W-Wait!" she cried out, scampering to her feet and running after the Digimon, the warmth torn away from her so suddenly. The Digimon ignored her pleas, slashing a hole into the fence and bounding off into the distance.

The young girl could only watch the Digimon and her unexpected savior race off, still on her knees, panting softly. The armoured female slowly paced over to her, the weapons glowing bright for a moment before flashing out of existence.

"Are you okay?" she asked the young girl, offering a hand and helping the blue haired girl to her feet.

"Yes…" was the soft response, the girl forcing a smile. "And you?" The older Human only nodded, though her battered armour and worn look spoke otherwise. The fighter looked over the battles site.

"We should report this, the Digimon was stronger then we anticipated," she remarked, almost mechanically. There was a pause between them before the young girl answered, nodding. The pair departed with the screech of sirens blaring towards the scene.

* * * * * *

Ryoko raced down the ravine, trying to keep up with the agile Digimon, even though she knew she had no chance to catch up with it.

She cried out as she tripped on the uneven ground, tumbling over and rolling down the rest of the way, landing on her back, dazed by her fall.

"Oow…" she moaned softly, rubbing her back and climbing to her feet, her body aching with the amount of times she fell over today. Her gaze fell upon her surroundings, around the tall grass and a few thin trees here and there. It crossed her mind that a tiger in pitch black armour would have a hard time hiding in here unless it was ri-…

Her train of thought was shattered as a strong blow to her stomach that sent her flying, crashing into one of the trees with a loud crack. Ryoko fell to her knees, stunned by the surprise attack. She fell forward, seeing a dark grey paw with sharp claws rising towards her before she blacked out.

* * * * * *

She moved, moaning softly, trying to open her eyes and escape from the black haze that surrounded her.

"Ryoko!" The cry was loud, yet dulled by her dazed senses as she slowly came to. "Ryoko!" the voice cried once more, the girl slowly opening her eyes, focusing on the blur before her. It took a moment for the haze to clear, confronted by the worried look of a Digimon.

"Dragukimon…?" she asked shakily. "W-Whe…ahh!" she cried out, falling back onto the comfort of her bed as she tried to get up, her back aching.

"Ryoko!" the Digimon gasped, almost leaping upon the injured Human, yet restraining herself, grasping her hand tenderly instead.

"I'm okay…" Ryoko replied softly, wincing in pain, but enduring it. Her memories flooded back to her, with the incident at school…to the ravine. "Where am I?" she questioned next, though that was easily answered when she looked around, find herself within the familiar confines of her room.

"I found you lying unconscious and alone on the doorstep after someone rang the bell," the Digimon answered, pointing towards the clothing on the ground. "Your clothes were dirty and you didn't want to wake up no matter how many times I tried. I don't know what happened to you at school today, but you had me worried sick," The Digimon's gaze returned to her partner with a sign of concern and relief in the dragon's eyes.

"I'm…sorry…" Ryoko answered meekly, but smiling, glad for her Digimon's concern. She tenderly stroked the Digimon's check, closing her eyes and laying back flat against the bed. "I think I'm going to sleep some more…my body could use the rest."

"Alright, Ryoko," Dragukimon responded in the dark haze that surrounded the Human. She felt the lights flicker off as she rested on her bed, hearing the Digimon fumble a bit with the lock before the dark room fell into a startling silence. Ryoko caught her breath, a bit afraid, but that soon faded when she felt her partner crawl into the bed with her, the Digimon's arm wrapping protectively around her Human body.

"Good night, onee-chan."

**

Fin

**


	4. Calm

**

Calm

**

**

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

**

blitzbithotmail.com

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon. Toei Animation Inc. does. All original characters and Digimon introduced in this series of fics belong to me or other respected authors. Please ask for permission if want to use them. This fic is based within Lord Archive's Diaries universe, and is written with permission. Thank you._

* * *

Kayrina stared out towards the pitch-black darkness that was the night. Her palm was pressed against the freezing glass, though she made no effort to show her discomfort. Instead, her mind continued to wander. However, it did not distract her from watching the Digimon from the corner of her eye, his faint reflection scampering around on the bed, chasing after the seal plushie. She smiled faintly, watching Tricemon continuing to chase after a plushie that he kept knocking away, causing him to repeat the process. The childish antics brought some calm to her wandering mind.

"Just like a pet…" she spoke softly, allowing those words to sink in for a brief moment before snapping to the reality of those words, turning to face Tricemon. The Digimon continued to gleefully play with the plushie…just like a pet.

"Tricemon," she spoke softly, catching her partner's attention immediately. She took a seat on the bed, upon which the Digimon leapt into her lap, getting comfortable and snuggling against her, smiling like a child.

"Yes, Kayrina?" he asked, looking up, curious as to what his partner had to say. She took a moment to phrase her words, petting the Digimon gently.

"You…think…right?" she finally asked. Tricemon gazes curiously up at her, unsure what she was asking.

"Um…one plus one is equal to two?" he finally answered with a joking smile. Kayrina rolled her eyes, smiling though.

"I guess I should ask…do you think for yourself?" she rephrased, getting a definite nod for her partner, who made an offended face.

"Of course I do, all Digimon do," he answered firmly, becoming serious, unlike his previous attitude. He gazed up at her, concerned. "What are you thinking, Kay?" She sighed softly, petting his head again, smiling faintly at his concern.

"All Digimon are sentient…aren't they?" she spoke softly, tickling the Digimon lightly. He began to giggle, squirming in her lap before bouncing off, sticking out his tongue and returning to his childish antics – more specifically, playing around with the plushie. Kayrina's smile widened at the playfulness of her partner.

"Sentient…and living…?" she asked herself silently, her stomach churning a bit in realization that her partner may have just killed another living being. Her smile quickly faded, hoping beyond hope that what she was thinking wasn't true…

Frederick surveyed the scene where the first two Digimon attacks occurred. The additional damage left on the field was emphasized by the amount of police tape that now surrounded the battle site. He knelt down by the edge of the crater, Catavamon plodding over beside his partner, gazing down the crater as well, shuddering at the event that he was part of earlier in the week. The bear cub glanced up towards his partner, who seemed engrossed with the crater. The Digimon turned his attention elsewhere, looking at all the yellow tape that decorated the yard.

"Frederick, what is with the yellow tape?" the Digimon asked, returning his gaze back to his partner.

"It's just to tell everyone not to come in here," Frederick answered casually, standing up and turning away from the sight.

"And…why are we here then?" his partner continued, though getting no response from the child.

"You shouldn't be here," a voice spoke, smooth and direct. Frederick turned around, startled by the sudden warning, only to calm when his eyes fell upon her once again.

"It's you…" Frederick spoke, ignoring her warning, gazing at the blue haired girl whom he met the first time he saw a Digimon. She sternly stood, the cat-eared white ball on her shoulder, glaring as well. The boy only smiled, despite their gaze, whereas Catavamon slowly shrunk, hiding behind Frederick's leg, the glare of the opposing pair frightening him.

"You should leave, now," she continued to speak, never adverting her gaze. Frederick only continued to smile, leaning forward and taking her hand. She gasped, taking a step back, as though never touched by a boy ever before.

"My name is Frederick, it's nice to meet you," he introduced, gazing down at Catavamon. "This is my partner, Catavamon. Thank you for saving him." The female only continued to stand shocked, while the small ball on her shoulder was about ready to pounce on Frederick and tear him apart.

"M-Mei…" she responded softly, looking up at his eyes, with a calmer and friendlier gaze. The 'cat' on her shoulder paused instantly, surprised by the sudden revelation, but calming, returning to her watchful gaze from Mei's shoulder.

"It's nice to meet you, Mei," Frederick told her. She smiled faintly, nodding. The pair never broke their gaze from each other, returning to the park bench they first met. Their conversation bounced back and fourth with each other, and they talked for the whole day long.

A soft wind brushed the pair standing in the ravine. Ryoko gazed at where she last saw the black tiger the day it appeared, pulling her coat closer to her body, blocking some of the wind out, though it felt her black jeans did little to prevent that. Dragukimon stood by her side, keeping alert for anything that may potentially be dangerous, but feeling nothing threatening in the area.

"This is where you were knocked out?" the Digimon asked curiously, taking a few steps forward and exploring the ravine, through never stepping far from Ryoko, not wanting to risk anymore harm to her.

"Yes…" Ryoko answered softly, gazing around the secluded area, despite the road that was only several feet away and above them. She shivered slightly, taking a step towards her Digimon, petting the dragon's back softly. The Digimon paid no heed at the moment, more concerned about what attacked the human in the first place.

Ryoko whimpered softly, continuing to pet her partner softly. She glanced left and right, finding no trace of the armoured tiger that attacked her and the mysterious pair. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around her body, shivering a bit more, feeling cold with the thoughts that crossed her mind.

"It's not here…let's go," the human female spoke softly. Dragukimon looked up at her partner, sniffing the air for the moment and nodding in agreement, taking her side by Ryoko.

"Maybe someone dealt with it already," Dragukimon suggested as they walked off. Ryoko's nod was light, almost invisible, huddling her arms closer to her body, cold, the wind picking up around her.

"Ryoko?" the Digimon spoke softly, nudging her arm softly with her snout. The female human gazed down at her partner and friend, forcing a smile and petting the dragon's head softly. Dragukimon purred like a cat once again, nuzzling the human's hand softly.

Ryoko smiled, uncurling her arms entirely, continuing to pet the Digimon's head. Her body felt a bit warmer now, and the wind died down to a gentle breeze in the wake of the pair.

The first day of school for the week – the young girl's eyes were on the blackboard, but her mind was focused on something else. Kayrina's sight grew unfocused, a haze blurring her view, her mind lost on what Tricemon had told her.

Her mechanical pencil tapped against the piece of paper lightly as she contemplated the ethical question in her head.

"They're data…but they think…and therefore, are sentient…but at the same time…they aren't real…they're just digital…" Kayrina mentally told herself, gripping her pencil in her hand tightly. "A Digimon is digital data…but they exist in the real world…

"I think, therefore I am…ironic how well that quote fits right now…" she muttered to herself softly, gazing down at her paper, gaze still unfocused, mind blurred in the confusion of her moral dilemma.

Her thoughts snapped back to realty as the sharp, piercing howl of the bell signalled the end of the day. Slowly, she gathered her books, sloppily throwing them into her bag and shambling out the door, her mind returning to her problem, trying to find an answer that seemed impossible to find.

"So, what is a Digimon…?" she asked herself, sighing softly, finding herself hopelessly drowning in a pool of questions. Her head banged against her locker with a resounding thud, though she visibly ignored the pain, completely removed from reality.

Slowly, Kayrina breathed softly and peeled herself away from the locker, breathing softly, and heading out the door, focussing back into reality for now, whispering words softly to herself:

"You think too much…"

Mei and Frederick sat at the park table, across from each, happily exchanging conversations amongst each other. The second day of school for the week had passed by quickly for Frederick, who was anxious to meet Mei again afterwards.

"So…she's a Digimon…?" Frederick asked, gazing underneath the bench for moment, where Catavamon was poking and prodding at the tiny white ball with cat ears that normally rested on Mei's shoulder. They decided otherwise as not to attract unwanted attention in the park, and left them underneath the bench to remain relatively protected from sight.

"Hachimon..." Mei responded, nodding slowly. Her laptop case rested on the table. Frederick kept glancing back and fourth between the girl and the bag, wondering why she carried it wherever she went.

"Frederick…?" she asked softly, looking up at him. His attention was turned to her instantly and he suddenly ignored the bag entirely. "Where are you from…? You seem…" she hesitated, unsure how to finish the sentence. "…different." Frederick laughed softly, shaking his head.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked, smiling. "I moved here about three years ago, when my mother found a great job opportunity and…" the young boy trailed off, but retained his smile without much of a flinch. However, silence remained after that as well.

"And…?" Mei asked curious, leaning a bit closer, breaking the tense silence. Frederick's smile widened, shaking his head.

"It's nothing important," the young boy responded softly, continuing to smile and turning his head down to face at the pair of Digimon below the table. There, Catavamon continued to prod at Hachimon until she roared in a strange maow and bit into the other Digimon's hand. He yelped and pulled back quickly, scurrying to the other end of the underneath the park bench, whimpering. Frederick smiled faintly, leaning down and petting his Digimon, trying to comfort him.

"Ahh…she doesn't appreciate the attention…towards either of us…" Mei responded softly, slowly standing up and sliding her laptop over her shoulder. The young girl kneeled down and picked up the tiny cat-like Digimon, allowing the digital monster to rest on her shoulder once again.

"Do you have to go already?" Frederick asked, quickly getting to his feet when he noticed Mei's attempt to leave, worried that he may not see her again for a long time. She nodded, turning her back and beginning to walk away. Frederick remained mute for a moment, before asking: "Can we meet again?"

Mei paused for a moment, glancing back at the young boy, analyzing him for a long moment and nodding, before continuing to walk away. The boy let out a soft sigh of relief, smiling once again and nodding in return, though she did not see. He gently picked up his partner and held him like a plushie to advert suspicion, and walked the other way, gleefully happy an anxious for their next encounter.

Dragukimon held her partner closer, protectively holding the human in her arms. Ryoko shuddered and squirmed, panting softly and sweating, but took an unconscious peace with the Digimon holding her protectively.

"What's wrong with you…Ryoko?" the Digimon whispered softly, feeling a pang of guilt as she didn't know the cause. The Digimon worriedly held her partner as the nightmares struck the human for the third night in a row.

The Digimon sighed softly, gazing at the time. Ryoko only fallen asleep an hour ago and it was already six in the morning. She sighed once again, turning her attention back to Ryoko, hugging her tenderly, stroking her hair back and watching over her protectively.

"'Nee-chan…" the Digimon spoke softly. The Digimon felt Ryoko's breath skip for a moment, breathing in sharply before release her breath, her breathing becoming more systematic then the rough panting from before. The Digimon also seemed to feel a bit more at peace, since her partner was slowly calming.

"Help me…" Ryoko whispered in her sleep, shivering and snuggling closer to Dragukimon on instinct. The Digimon kissed her partner on the forehead, hugging the sleeping human protectively. The Digimon's tail wrapped gently around Ryoko, sharing her warmth and hoping to calm Ryoko. The human sighed softly, a soft sigh of content, with a faint smile curling on her lips. Though Dragukimon didn't see through the darkness, she smiled faintly, knowing Ryoko was sleeping more peacefully now.

"Sleep well…'nee-chan. I shall always be protecting you…" the dragon Digimon whispered before closing her eyes, allowing the darkness and fatigue to consume her.

Frederick held his Digimon up to his chest, smiling, seeing the stream of young children laughing and screaming as they raced out the door. The young boy stood away from the crowd, watching like an older brother over them all, taking a strange joy in the innocence of them, though some may be older while others may be younger. Catavamon remained still against the boy's chest, but eyed the young boys and girls racing out to be free from the school after another long day of education.

"One more day of school left and they all think it is over already," Frederick spoke softly like a wise man, but with an innocent and young smile. He drew his Digimon closer to him and followed the crowd of children once most of them had left the building.

The young child inhaled a breath of fresh air with a smile gazing around for a moment at the dissipating crowd of cheerful students. However, his eyes fell on one particular individual who was taller and older then anyone at the school, under the shadow of a tree and gazing towards the distance. She turned to face the door and smiled, beckoning Frederick over. He smiled in return, heading towards his friend.

"Hi Kayrina," he said, taking a seat by the young girl and leaning against the tree, closing his eyes, a soft breeze gently blowing by. The boy let his partner rest on his lap, where he cuddled right in and tried not to move, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. "I didn't expect you to be here."

"No school…" Kayrina spoke rather blandly, a complete change from the tone she normally used around him. The boy took a gentle amusement from the change in attitude, and he opened his eyes, gazing at the older of the pair.

"You're lying," he responded simply, though smiling in a caring manner, even though she was not facing him. There was a strange silence between them, the only sound coming from a faint shuffle of Catavamon, nervous from the awkward calm.

"Where is Tricemon?" Frederick asked, shattering the silence. He looked up towards her, still finding her unmoving under the shade of the tree.

"Home – my parents area out almost all the time unlike your mother," she responded with a friendlier tone then before, though with a hint of sarcasm as well. Frederick only chuckled once again, acknowledging her words to be fact.

"What is on your mind then?" Frederick spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, gazing down at Catavamon. Kayrina sighed softly, gazing towards the younger child for a moment, then towards Catavamon, reaching over and gently petting the Digimon with the tips of her fingers.

"Catavamon…" she spoke softly, catching herself though, wondering if she should ask the questions that could bring more harm then good. She quickly pulled her hand away, thinking otherwise for a brief moment as the Digimon stared curiously at the female. She paused though, gazing at Frederick's smile, a reassuring smile that showed their trust in her words. She nodded slowly in return, catching her normally jumbled thoughts and mashing them together into something coherent.

"Catavamon…Digimon are…sentient beings…" she continued in her soft, recalling her anxieties and fears of the issue, looking up at Frederick with a calm fear. Catavamon only nodded slowly to that comment, curious as to where the discussion was going to go. "That means…when we kill a Digimon…we kill a living being, just like we would kill a human being…" she trailed off, turning away and gazing down, her leg twitching a little. "Does that…make us less humane if we do…?" she asked, curiously and afraid of the answer, closing her eyes. There was silence once again between the trio, only to be broken like the wind by the Digimon's soft whisper.

"We fight to survive…that is what we believe, this is how we live," he spoke simply and softly to not raise any suspicions towards his existence. The agitated female paused to analyse those words, though it did not bode well in her mind. She emitted a sigh. Frederick only remained mute during it all, his emotions hidden behind a calm smile and stoic gaze, though in the tense air hinted otherwise.

Unbecoming silence ensnared them for a long while, with attempts at conversation, but with no audio to accompany it. Without a sound, they silently departed.

Ryoko awoke with a start, cold sweat on her forehead. Slowly, her vision focussed from the blur it was before, though there was not much to see within the dark room. She felt the warm beating of her partner's heart in bed by her, sleeping peacefully, the dragon's arm gently around Ryoko in a protective embrace. A small smile curled from her lips, content to have her partner, friend, and sister nearby.

"Sister…" the young female thought softly, a shiver crawling up her spine as her mind wandered to some unpleasant thoughts. Ryoko shifted a little to slip out of bed, Dragukimon moving a little to try to find the void of the human being, though settling with it soon after some mumbling. The dark room remain still, the only sound and light from a passing car.

She shivered a little, the cold night air bitterly chilling her, as she was away from the warmth of her bed and partner. Ryoko rubbed her hands together for warmth, finding them wet with cold sweat, her nightgown sticking to her body thanks to that same recurring nightmare. She sighed softly and shivered once again – a combination of memories and cold, deciding to think otherwise and dashing off to the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

She panted softly, closing her eyes tightly, trying to seal those memories off, finding her resolve failing quickly. She quickly flicked on the light, and in an instant, blinding light snared the room, causing her pained memory to fade as quick as the darkness. The young child feel to her knees, panting softly, wiping the forming tears from her eyes and slowly standing up once again, wobbly at first but regaining her balance over time, silently walking to the shower, turning the hot water dial and slowly stripping out of her nightgown and undergarments while it heated. Not caring for the temperature, she stepped under the scalding hot water, finding it a sufficient distraction that kept her thoughts away.

The white-haired girl brushed her soaked tresses back, quickly growing accustomed to the heat and finding her mind slowly wandering back to the memories. Mingled memories of good times and bad lingered close, causing her to catch her breath softly, a fearing smile creeping up as she closed her eyes, laying her head against the tile siding of the shower.

Her hands wandered, taken over by a foreign entity that used them to its whim. A haze wrapped around Ryoko's mind, distracted through the memories.

Her mind wandered as she pleased herself more and more, recalling the good memories, back in Japan, before moving, with all her friends, and her brother. Happy, running and laughing, without a care in the world, young children of innocence – how she enjoyed those times. She wished she could return to them, to those naive and young years, and how she wished she enjoyed them more, and to be more open to her heart at that time.

With a cry, she fell to her knees, the hot water rained down on her, calming her nerves as she gradually regained her sense of reality, almost breaking down into tears immediately after, but fighting them back, slowly standing up and turning the shower off, reaching for her towel.

"Life goes on as usual," she spoke in a bitter and sarcastic tone, closing her eyes tightly, wrapping the towel around her body, rubbing some of the fog from the mirror, gazing at the delicate figure in the mirror. She fell to her knees once again, losing complete control and sobbing silently.

**

Fin

**


End file.
